Literacy Outreachhttp://www.literacyoutreach.org
Changing lives one word at a time...Mon, 30 Mar 2015 22:01:52 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=135Mystery of the Misspelled Word Solved!http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=944
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=944#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 22:01:52 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=944Deb Nicholson, Tinker Duclo and Bob VonAchen solved the mystery of the misspelled word at Spellebration on Friday, March 15 at the Hotel Colorado. This team of three spellers, sponsored by Colorado Mountain College West Garfield Campus, successfully defended their title as the best spellers in Garfield County. They correctly spelled the penultimate word, “treen,” and then “opsimath” to win, narrowly beating the team sponsored by Valley View Hospital.

Photo Courtesy of Consuelo Cota.
Last year’s champions, Deb Nicholson, Tinker Duclo and Bob VonAchen, celebrate their first place finish with pronouncer, Robert Noone at Spellebration 2015.

The Best Costumes award went to Martha’s Detective Agency, sponsored by Linda English, and the top fundraiser was Glenwood Springs’ 100 Club and their team The Reddish Herrings.

Spellebration is a joint fundraiser to benefit Literacy Outreach and the Colorado Mountain College learning labs to support the many adult literacy learners in Garfield County. These programs are grateful for the support of the 31 teams of spellers, the event and team sponsors, and the silent auction donors and purchasers.

]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=9440Learning to Read as an Adulthttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=922
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=922#commentsMon, 16 Feb 2015 19:16:30 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=922Learning to read as an adult is like walking out of a long, dark tunnel into sun. Maybe. Actually, it’s probably more like wanting desperately to get out of a labyrinth of tunnels but you don’t know where to turn. Then someone says, “Go this way. It will be hard, but someone will be there to help you.”

So you go. All it will take is perseverance. Hard work. Determination. And some help. With every step, some help.

This is the journey from illiteracy to power. Students at Literacy Outreach admit it’s not easy, learning to read as adults. Meredith said it was so difficult she had to ask herself, “What do I really want?” in order to keep on trying. And what she wanted more than anything was to learn to read.

Before she found Literacy Outreach, Meredith couldn’t read the labels on the cleaning agents she was using as a custodian. She’d have to get help to make sure she wasn’t using something that said “Danger: Poison.” She hated picking up books to try to read because it was impossible.

Now Meredith has read four books in the Little House on the Prairie series and is going full speed ahead. Her eyes shine when she talks about her success; her tutor, Ginny; and their journey together. Meredith has big plans now, and one of them is to get her GED. She says, “If it takes 10 years to get my GED, Ginny will just have to keep lookin’ at me. I’m not trading her for anything!”

Meredith has made it through the tunnel. “Life’s easy now,” she grins.

Sonia and Barbara are another student and tutor pair. They have found real friendship while Sonia learns to read in English. She says, “I am so grateful to my tutor. She’s like a second mother to me.” When Sonia had to work long hours, Barbara found a way to keep the tutoring going through phone calls. Barbara says, “Sonia has hugely enriched my life. She’s wonderful. We just bubble at each other.”

Hard work? Yes. But the rewards are forever.

]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=9220Spellebration 2015: The Case of the Misspelled Wordhttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=912
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=912#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 23:31:36 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=912Spellebration 2015 will attempt to solve “The Case of the Misspelled Word.” The annual costumed adult spelling bee will celebrate famous detectives and the solvers of mysteries. Spellebration is the major fundraiser for Literacy Outreach and the CMC Adult Learning Labs.

The popular event will take place on Friday, March 13, 2015, at the Hotel Colorado. Teams of three costumed competitors will try to discover the spellings of increasingly arcane words, all the time concentrating on building support for the county’s literacy programs.

In February event organizers are seeking corporate sponsors for the event as well as businesses, organizations and individuals willing to sponsor teams. Donations for the silent auction are also being sought out. To make a donation or sponsor a team, contact the Literacy Outreach office, 1127 School Street, Glenwood Springs, 970-945-5282.

Reading, writing and math are mysteries for many Garfield County residents, and Literacy Outreach has been working to help adult learners master essential literacy skills since 1986.

Release written by Bruce Leland

]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=9120Shop smile.Amazon and support Literacy Outreachhttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=895
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=895#commentsThu, 27 Nov 2014 22:04:08 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=895Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Literacy Outreach whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support Literacy Outreach by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com on Black Friday.

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-4713475

]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=8950Happy Thanksgivinghttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=899
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=899#commentsWed, 26 Nov 2014 16:26:58 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=899Thank you Everyone! Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and express our gratitude for the things we appreciate most in our lives that we may not always take the time to acknowledge. Literacy Outreach is grateful for all of our volunteers and students. We couldn’t do it without your help.
]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=8990Closed for the Thanksgiving Holidayhttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=897
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=897#commentsTue, 25 Nov 2014 20:05:47 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=897We will be closed Thursday and Friday to observe the Thanksgiving holiday. Have a warm and safe holiday everyone. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for all they do!
]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=8970Amazon.com Supports Literacyhttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=848
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=848#commentsTue, 25 Nov 2014 15:10:03 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=848Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Literacy Outreach whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support Literacy Outreach by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com on Black Friday.

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-4713475

]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=8480Unique Talent Dayhttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=902
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=902#commentsMon, 24 Nov 2014 20:37:29 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=902It’s Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day! Everyone has a unique talent or skill at which they truly excel. Today is the day to embrace those quirky abilities and show them off to everyone else!

Your unique and special talent could involve writing, art, sports, math, or crafts! Or maybe you are double jointed, can talk in a cartoon voice, or can do a one-handed pull-up like no other. No matter what your special skills are, today is the day to flaunt them for all your friends and family.

What is your special talent?

]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=9020Fundraiser Friday!http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=889
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=889#commentsFri, 24 Oct 2014 20:52:53 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=889Today is #fundraiserfriday: an #opportunity to give time, #money, or resources to your favorite #nonprofit. Mine is .@LiteracyOut
]]>http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?feed=rss2&p=8890Just a couple of hours per week @LiteracyOuthttp://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=862
http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=862#commentsFri, 15 Aug 2014 18:34:20 +0000http://www.literacyoutreach.org/?p=862Just a couple hours a week . . . that’s all we ask . . . you can help change a life. If you would like to volunteer, please join us at an information session Thursday, August 21 at noon to learn more. For more information teaching an adult to read or speak English, call 970-945-5282.
Our volunteers truly make a difference!
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